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The University of Massachusetts Medical School recently released a report that found that the proportion that employers, consumers and the state government were paying on healthcare coverage was the same in 2007 as they were a year before a new statewide health insurance mandate went into effect. The 2006 law requires almost all Massachusetts residents to have health insurance or they will face a stiff penalty. The report also states, employers with more than 10 full-time equivalent staff must provide coverage or pay fees for the uninsured workers. The report continues that in 2007, employers amounted to approximately 48 percent of spending on coverage in Massachusetts. Furthermore, consumers paid around 25 percent and state and federal government contributed around 27 percent.

A guilty plea was made by James Durham, MD of Benton Illinois to allegations that he overcharged Medicare and Medicaid for services. During his tenure as president of Franklin Rural Health Care Clinic, Dr. Durham instructed employees to bill Medicare and Medicaid for services not covered by the payors. Durham ultimately billed Medicare for $42,503 and Medicaid for $145,388 between January 1, 2003 and May 31, 2006. Dr. James Durham will be sentenced in July and faces a $100,000 fine.